Research in Education specialising in early childhood learning aims to contribute to our understanding of the role of institutionalised childhood as the foundation for lifelong learning. The research approach is primarily qualitative with a close link to day-care and preschool activities. Research focuses on children aged 0–6 years in day care and preschool. Focal areas include children’s learning, instructors’ concepts of the child, their value bases, professionalization, and development of the profession.

Topical research areas related to learning and development include language development and language stimulation, musicality and music education, aesthetic learning processes and small children’s physical activities. The research related to the profession concerns the educators’ identity and self-development, the relational aspects of communication between the teachers and children, as well as the role of preschool teachers as a language model for children. Research is being conducted within several Nordic networks.

With a Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, you will be qualified to work with children up to school age. You can work as a teacher in early childhood education or as a preschool teacher. If you continue your studies for a Master’s degree, you can work with daycare administrative tasks, for example as head of a daycare centre. A Master’s degree also gives you the opportunity to continue with postgraduate studies. The studies in early childhood education will provide rewarding tasks in an interesting field of work!